Grave box cover applying and removing tool



Jan. 4, I944. I w. CAWOOD GRAVE BOX COVER APPLYING AND REMOVING .EQOL

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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GRAVE BOX COVER APPLYING AND REMOVING TOOL Original Filed Sept. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LMEEILE I11 veil tor I KzZlmm f/olwri dam-4p /Z a A tmrneyx Patented Jan. 4, 1944 GRAVE BOX COVER APPLYING AND REMOVING TOOL William Hobart Cawood, Middlesboro, Ky.

Original application September 3, 1941, Serial No. 409,428. Divided and this application July 28, 1942, Serial No. 452,663

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in tools for applying and removing covers for grave boxes after the box has been placed in the grave to protect the box from becoming crushed by the earth used for filling of the grave, the application constituting a division of my application Serial No. 409,428, filed September 3, 1941, patented October 6, 1942, No. 2,297,745.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a tool adapted for adjusting the sections of the cover into a position for fitting the edges of the cover into a channel formed in the side Walls of the grave to support the cover above the box.

A further object is to provide a tool of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cover in position in the grave.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the cover manipulating tool.

Figure 4 is a similar view of a one man tool for use by a single person at one side of the grave.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the foot pieces forming part of the tool, and

Figure 6 is a similar view of a modified form of foot piece.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates the conventional form of grave box which is lowered into the grave in the usual manner. In order to protect the box from the weight of earth used for filling the grave I provide a protective cover 1 which is formed of corrugated sections 8 of sheet metal, the corrugations running transversely of the rave and the sections being arranged in pairs with their adjacent ends in overlapping relation and with their outer ends adapted to slide transversely of the grave into horizontal channels 9 formed in the side walls of the grave immediately above the box.

The side edges of one section of each pair are formed with inwardly bent guides In for receiving the side edges of the companion sections to connect the pair of sections in sliding relation. Also, the side edges of each pair of sections overlap the side edges of an adjacent pair of sections to close the space between the sections and thus prevent the earth from falling on to the top of the box.

Each section of the protective cover is formed with a raised bracket I l of substantially inverted U-form having its ends welded or otherwise suitably secured to the upper surface of the sections adjacent the ends thereof.

The brackets are adapted to receive the foot pieces ll. of a manipulating tool designated generally at l3 for sliding the sections into and out of position in the channels of the grave. The tool comprises a pair of legs l4l4 pivoted intermediate their ends as shown at I5, the lower ends of the legs having the foot pieces I2 secured thereto by a lug l6 rising from the foot piece. Each foot piece includes a laterally extending base I! adapted to enter the bracket II and an angular member l8 secured on top of the base I! and with one end free and extending outwardly and spaced above the base to overlie the bracket.

In the modified form of foot piece shown in Figure 6 the end of the base is provided with an upwardly extending flange Is to engage behind the bracket to slide the cover sections inwardly into their retracted positions free of the channels in order to remove the cover, when desired.

The upper ends of the legs I4l4 of the tool have horizontal handles 20-40 attached thereto, the handles in Figure 3 extending in opposite directions toward opposite sides of the grave for use by two attendants and in the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 4, the handles 2l-2l extend in a uniform direction for use by a single attendant.

A link 22 is used to connect one of the handles 2| to the legs in order to space the handles vertically from each other to provide for suflicient room therebetween during manipulation thereof.

Braces 2222 connect each leg to the respective foot pieces, the legs having slots 23-43 above the pivot in which pins 24-24 carried by the braces are slidable during opening and closing movement of the tool,

After assembling the pairs of cover plates and placing the same in position in the grave over the box, the tool is used to engage the brackets II and slide the plates transversely into channels 9 formed in the side walls of the grave.

What is meeting the foot pieces to an opposite leg mem her and handles at the upper ends of the legs and disposed substantially parallel to said foot pieces.

2. A tool for manipulating the sliding sec-- tions of a grave box cover, saidt'ool comprising a pair of pivoted leg members, foot pieces extending laterally outwardly at the lower ends of the legs and including vertically spaced parallel portions at the outer ends of the foot pieces for receiving a part of the cover therebetween, braces connecting the foot pieces to an opposite leg member and handles at the upper ends of the legs.

3. A tool for manipulating the sliding sections of a grave box cover, said tool comprising a pair of pivoted leg members, foot pieces extending laterally outwardly at the lower ends of the legs and including vertically spaced portions at the outer ends of the foot pieces for receiving a part of the cover therebetween, one of said vertically spaced portions having an angular flange extending toward the other of said portions to provide a restricted opening therebetween and to engage a part of the cover, and handles at the upper ends of the legs.

4. A tool for manipulating the sliding sections of a grave box cover, said tool comprising a pair of pivotedleg members, foot pieces extending laterally outwardly at the lower ends of the legs and including vertically spaced portions at the.

outer ends of the foot pieces for receiving a part of the cover therebetween, bracesconnecting. the foot pieceswith the legs, and handles at the upper ends of the legs. I

WILLIAM HOBART CA-WOOD. 

